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Do you want to be happy?

1. Happy people savor it. Old cliches like ‘stopping to smell the roses’ and ‘it’s the little things in life’?” are true. The happiness researchers call it ‘Savoring.’”

Savoring an experience is “mindfully attending to and appreciating a positive stimulus,” includes enjoying music, eating a gourmet meal, soaking in a warm bath, receiving a compliment, spending time with a good friend, or winning an honor or award.”

2. Happy people don’t compare themselves to others. Focus on you. Indeed, the psych research shows that the way we stand relative to others changes our sense of subjective well-being. It’s for this reason that having a higher status than your immediate peers is a better predictor of subjective well-being than getting paid.

3. Happy people are grateful. People who are prompted to feel gratitude — for a sunset, a friend, or just being alive are happier than people who haven’t been primed to graciousness. Advice: just appreciate what you got.

4. Happy people don’t rehash the past. Emotionally unstable (previously known as neurotic) people tend to ruminate over the things that have happened to them — rehashing, rehearsing, and reliving slights. This mental habit can damage well-being.

5. Happy people meditate.

6. Happy people find their own definitions of happiness.

7. Happy people hang with other happy people. Find people who are kind and genuinely care about you, whose company you enjoy. These are not very easy to find, so make sure you hang on to the ones you do meet. Forming strong friendships with people who care about you will buoy your well-being.